If the home’s water heater is not functioning correctly, it can greatly interfere with the comfortable running of the home. This is the reason we home inspectors pay extra attention to them during an inspection. A question that is frequently asked is how long is the average life cycle of a home’s water heater? The short answer to this is about 10 years. However, this does depend on many different factors. Let’s consider a few.
Proper installation is the first step to improving the lifespan of a water heater. Very often a homeowner will attempt the installation themselves in order to save some money but, they may quickly come to realize that the job is not as simple as it looks, particularly in the case of tankless gas heaters.
Another important factor is the location of the water heater. It must always be placed in an upright position and situated in a well-ventilated area. It is important to avoid placing it in an area at high risk of flooding. If this happens, the heater’s exterior pipes can rust which will reduce its life span. You should also have in mind the need for future inspections and maintenance when choosing where to install a water heater as it will need to be easily accessible.
Usage is yet another thing that will greatly affect the life cycle of your water heater. Naturally, the more water it must heat, the harder it will work, increasing the amount of wear and tear it gets.
If you do not have a lot of experience when it comes to buying a water heater, how can you be sure to select a good quality one? Research is important but as with most products these days, you get what you pay for, meaning that in general the more expensive it is, the longer it will last. Also, take a look at the warranty on the water heater. A long warranty is another sign that the water heater is of better quality.
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